These Maple Dijon Soy Chicken Thighs are one of our favourite summer mains! This recipe has been on repeat so many times in our house, we have the method perfected. A nice long marination period with simple ingredients yields these incredibly delicious, richly flavoured, and lightly smoky chicken thighs that pair with almost anything!

The recipe for this came about a funny way – my husband’s best friend from Toronto was visiting and made them dinner one night while I was gone. They grabbed one of my cookbooks off the shelf and very loosely followed a recipe. When I asked my husband if he remembered how much of each ingredient he put in, he said his friend winged it.

Lucky for me, through some experimentation, I was able to recreate the delicious marinade for the chicken and its one of my husband’s favourite Traeger chicken recipes.

We’ve made this for family and friends plenty of times and even made it with gluten free soy sauce for a friend with celiac disease and she loved it.

Why Use a Traeger/Pellet Grill?

1. Subtle smoky flavour in everything!
2. It’s basically an outdoor oven.
3. Dry heat with the ability to get a mild sear.
4. No gas or propane needed!

What Kind of Wood Pellets to Use:

High quality, food-grade pellets are best to use. Most you’ll find in your regular BBQ supply store, grocery store, or Costco will be good to use! We use Kirkland Signature Premium Blend BBQ Hardwood Pellets, which are a blend of oak, hickory, maple and cherry. The oak and hickory on their own would be too strong for grilling chicken but with maple and cherry it provides a nice balance. We prefer this so we do not have to empty our pellet hopper when we cook different meats.

WOOD:	FLAVOUR:	SMOKE LEVEL:	BEST USED FOR:	AVOID USING WITH:
Alder	mild and a hint of sweetness	mild	Fish, White Meat Poultry	Lamb, Baking, Game Meat, Cheese
Apple	mild, sweet, and fruity	most mild	Pork, Poultry, Fish	–
Apricot	mild, sweet	mild-medium	Pork, Poultry, Fish	Lamb, Game Meat, Cheese
Cherry	mild, sweet, and fruity	mild-medium	Pork, Poultry, Beef, Lamb, Duck	–
Grape	medium, sweet, and fruity	medium	Lamb, Dark Meat Poultry, Game Meat, Beef	Baking, Cheese
Hickory	intense, smoky, and spicy	strong	Beef, Pork	Baking, Cheese
Maple	mildly sweet, subtle, and fruity	medium	Poultry, Vegetables, Cheese	Lamb, Seafood
Mesquite	intense, earthy	strongest	Beef, Pork	Poultry, Lamb, Seafood, Baking, Vegetables, Game Meat, Cheese
Mulberry	strong and sweet	medium-strong	Pork, Poultry, Fish	Lamb, Baking, Cheese
Oak	medium, earthy	medium	Pork, Beef, Poultry	Baking
Peach	mild, sweet, and fruity	mild-medium	Poultry, Pork	Beef, Lamb, Game Meat, Cheese
Pecan	medium, sweet, and nutty	medium	Pork, Beef, Poultry	Baking
Walnut	strong, slightly bitter	strong	Pork, Beef	Poultry, Lamb, Seafood, Baking, Vegetables, Game Meat, Cheese

Why You’ll Love This Recipe:

• Subtle smoky flavour from utilizing the Traeger/pellet grill. When the temperatures are higher than 350F, the smoke flavour is diminished and only imparts a touch of flavour.
• Crispy, flavourful skin that is impossible to take off and discard. I normally don’t like eating the skin but I can’t resist with this marinade!
• Easy marinade with few ingredients. Only 3 ingredients in the marinade and you’re all set. It doesn’t get much easier than this.
• No oven needed! Outdoor cooking is my favourite part of summer – plus it saves us a bunch on our electricity bill when we’re not cooling the house down with A/C after using the oven or stove.
• Did I mention outdoor cooking? It’s the best.

Ingredients Needed for Maple Dijon Soy Chicken:

Tips for Success:

• Use a blend of pellets or milder wood pellets to ensure only sweet and mild flavours are passed onto the chicken. See the table above for best pellets to use.
• Marinade for at least 2 HOURS. The chicken will still taste good if it’s grilled after 30 minutes but it will lack that depth of flavour. The longer it marinates, the more flavour you’ll have throughout the chicken. I wouldn’t marinate longer than 24 hours, 2-6 hours is plenty.
• Utilize the hot spots in your pellet grill. The back of the grill is usually the hottest, and the smoke/heat comes out the left side for us (the pellet holder is on the right). Place the largest pieces of chicken closests to the hot spot (but not right over it) and rotate the chicken through at the 20 minute mark.
• Get your grill nice and hot. Preheat it well so the grates are hot. If it’s winter, lower your smoke vent a bit and consider cooking at 400F or 425F for 8-10 minutes longer. We aren’t usually able to get the grill up to 450F in the winter.

FAQs

1. Do I need a Traeger or Pellet Grill to make this?
   • Nope! You can bake in the oven at the same temperature/time or on a regular grill over medium heat. Timing may vary so I recommend using an instant read thermometer to make sure it’s cooked.
2. Can this be made gluten free?
   • Absolutely! Easily swap out the regular soy sauce for gluten-free tamari, soy sauce, or coconut aminos.
3. I’m allergic to soy, is there an easy substitute?
   • Use coconut aminos! You may need to add some salt if it’s on the weaker side.
4. Can I use different cuts of meat or boneless chicken?
   • I’d recommend using skin on chicken, but you can use boneless. It will likely cook 5 minutes quicker.
   • You could double or quadruple the marinade to coat an entire chicken or use bone in drumsticks, whole legs, or breasts.

How to Make Maple Dijon Soy Chicken Thighs

Pat the chicken thighs dry and set in a glass bowl or container.

Combine the mustard, soy sauce, and maple syrup to make the marinade.

Coat the chicken thighs well in the marinade and set aside, covered, in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours.

Preheat the traeger to 450°F. This should take about 15-20 minutes in warm weather.

Place the chicken on the hot grill close to the hot spot skin side down. Cook for 30 minutes total, flipping after 20 min and rotating to ensure they cook evenly.

Check that they are above 165°F – ours ranged 170-180°F. Do not cook above 200°F as they will begin to dry out. Enjoy!

What to Serve with Maple Dijon Soy Chicken:

• The Best Traeger Mac and Cheese
• House Salad with Sherry Dijon Vinaigrette
• The Best Caesar Salad
• Baked potato
• Roasted potatoes
• Cornbread
• Coleslaw